Though the abhidharma is recognized as one of the major topics of the Buddhist teachings, up until now there have been few translations of any of the great texts on it available in a Western language. This book contains a translation of one of the greatest presentations of abhidharma in any tradition, Vasubandhu's Verses on the Treasury of Abhidharma, along with the Ninth Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje's clear and concise explanation of it, Youthful Play. Taken together, these two works give a thorough explanation of the abhidharma of the Foundation vehicle as taught in the northern Buddhist traditions that spread to Tibet as well as to China and other East Asian countries.

In this much-awaited translation of a key text of Tibetan Buddhism, the Ninth Karmapa presents in unique fashion the vital Buddhist concept of emptiness, contrasting his own view with other widely accepted presentations. His explanation stresses the direct experience of the reader and bolsters the Mahayana ethic of compassion. A highly readable translation accessible even to beginning students.

Mahamudra, or the Great Seal, refers to a Mahayana Buddhist system of meditation on the nature of the mind and is undertaken for realizing Enlightenment. This text, by the Ninth Karmapa (1556-1603), is one of the most famous expositions of this meditational system. It covers both the preliminary practices as well as the actual Mahamudra meditations of mental quiescence (shamatha) and penetrative insight (vipasyana), Explaining the stages and paths as traveled in this system, it represents a complete path to Enlightenment.

The Ocean of Definitive Meaning by the Ninth Karmapa (1556-1603) is the most in-depth and famed text on Mahamudra ever written and is of vital importance in the living Kagyu tradition. It offers a detailed, uniquely comprehensive presentation of instructions on both the view and the practice. In the teachings contained in this book, Thrangu Rinpoche has distilled the essence of the Ninth Karmap’s massive text into manageable proportions and has given pointed guidance on the implementation of its instructions.

The realization of impermanence and the inevitability of death have acted as the motivating factor for one to realize the depth of suffering of samsara. Therefore, one has abandoned all concerns with temporal matters, but has given one's thoughts to the welfare of all sentient beings who are one's own mother and father. For their benefit, one would like to attain enlightenment. Furthermore, such an individual may want to achieve enlightenment in one lifetime with one body through use of the effective methods of Vajrayana." from Transcript

In this new book, Khenchen Thrangu provides an exhaustive commentary on the longest and most comprehensive of the three classic treatises on Mahamudra composed by the sixteenth-century scholar Wangchuk Dorje, the Ninth Karmapa. Khenchen Thrangu's teachings encompass the entire path of Mahamudra, including the preliminaries, the main practice, removing obstacles, and attaining the result of buddhahoodùwith detailed instruction in tranquility and insight meditation. This is the only available volume that presents Khenchen Thrangu's detailed commentary on this entire text.

"Opening the Door to Certainty" is a condensed version of the Ninth Karmapa's work, "The Ocean of Certainty." It introduces one to the direct understanding of the absolute nature of mind- Mahamudra. Although it is not a substitute for a living teaching but a guide to the path of Mahamudra, this book may serve you as a friendly companion on the journey. The purpose of Mahamudra is not to bring us something new but to introduce us to that which we already have.

At the heart of successful Mahamudra practice is the ability to get directly at the nature of mind. The Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje (1556 - 1603) , was the acknowledged master of this approach. No more authoritative or useful instructions exist than in his three definitive texts on Mahamudra, of which this easy-to-use, practical manual is the shortest. Pointing Out the Dharmakaya is an indispensable companion to The Ocean of Definitive Meaning, the most vast and detailed of the texts.

The first part of the text is devoted to the four preliminaries of mahamudra practice, divided into the practice of tranquillity meditation and the practice of insight meditation. Because of its brevity, the text is a convenient practical manual for mahamudra practitioners. It is easy to use and it is easy to keep the instructions in mind. The instructions enable the practitioner to get directly at the nature of his or her mind.

The Ninth Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje's Pointing Out the Dharmakaya is one of the most widely taught texts on the practice of Mahamudra in the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. This booklet, which contains Wangchuk Dorje's root text, covers the following topics: The outer and inner preliminary practices (ngondro), Calm abiding meditation (shamata), Insight meditation (vipashyana), Recognizing the nature of mind, How to enhance one's meditation practice and avoid pitfalls in meditation

Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye's classic text The Torch of True Meaning gives clear and concise instructions on the preliminary andmain
practices of mahamudra meditation. But it does not only teach
mahamudra: this book describes vividly what is necessary for anymeditation
practice. It is presented here in a new translation that includes the
previously unpublished final chapter of Jamgn Kongtruls work, a brief
yet inspiring description of the actual practice of mahamudra.